Newbie here Looking for pros and cons 5th vs travel trailer

[rs680]

Hello I have been looking for my first rv. I was looking at motor homes but most of my use will be in the summer as I am semi retired and take 3 months off every year now. So I think a travel trailer or 5th wheel would be better. It is only me and my small dog on most of my travels so I would like to stay under 27 ft.
ANyways what are the pros and cons of a 5th wheel vs TT and what is a good mid entry to high end brand that is good for cold Canada. Most of my camping will be remote and far north.

Also need a good satellite for bell Canada service.

Thank you all and looking forward to sharing the open road with you all.

[tatest]

Me and a small dog, for three months at a time, it would probably be a much smaller TT, 16-18 feet at most, so I could tow it with a smaller economical multipurpose vehicle. I'm thinking an egg trailer, maybe Casita or Scamp would meet my needs.

27-foot is huge for one person, that is family size in terms of living and sleeping space. My 30 foot motorhome is equivalent in floor space to a 23-24 foot TT, and now that I am alone, it is huge for my needs.

I guess the key phrase here is "most of the time" because if sometimes you will be housing 4-6 people, then you might be looking at 25-28 foot bunkhouses, depending on privacy expectations for the larger groups. This occasional extended family use is what keeps me in the motorhome for now, that and it is paid for, so all it costs is a few thousand dollars a year depreciation, insurance, and lost earnings on the original purchase price.

Disadvantage for me, of a 5th wheel, is that it must be pulled by a pickup truck with a long enough bed. There is a Scamp fiver that can be pulled by a small pickup, but as soon as you want more utility from the truck you have to get into extended cab or crew cab types, and the truck is no longer very small.

Advantage of a 5th wheel is that it tows better, and lets you go to larger sizes for a given overall combination length, since you carry some of the length over the bed of your truck.

[rs680]

Thank you everyone I sure have a lot to think about. I am learning a lot and think a small tt may be the way to go I could always trade to larger truck and 5th wheel if I really need to.

thanks for the great opinion's keep them coming

[SteveAE]

The two reason I choose a trailer instead of a 5er were:
- 5er's are higher so have to be more cautious about low hanging branches when accessing those remote campsites.
- Can't have much in the bed of the truck (no canopy) with a 5er.
Good luck and I am sure you will enjoy whichever you may choose.

[wbwood]

Hmmm.... 1 person and a small dog. Seriously if it were just me and my dog, I would probably opt for something small like a casita or something of that nature or even better a truck camper. Truck camper actually sounds better after all. I wouldn't need that much room at all. And you can literally take it anywhere.

But of the two you mentioned, I would go with a TT of a small size.

[dahkota]

If your travel is going to be remote and just you and the dog, I would stick with a small tt that has good ground clearance and good insulation. Arctic Fox, Outdoors RV, and Lance would be at the top of my list, though they may be a little harder to find in your area.

[fla-gypsy]

rs680 wrote:
I have a 2010 ram 1500 hemi with auto trucks is loaded and has factory tow cap. I think it is 9500 lbs. It is used a bit but it is not my daily driver.

With this truck a travel trailer is a much better option except for the smallest 5th wheels available due to lack of payload for pin weight.

[Golden_HVAC]

A fifth wheel is great if you have a 3500 truck. Many have a 1,500 pound hitch weight, but in the 30' class expect it to be heavier.

You will find a greater selection of travel trailers that a 1/2 ton can tow and stay with less than 1,000 pounds of hitch weight.

Check the curb weight of your truck with everything on board that you might travel with, or estimate the extra weight. Subtract that from the truck's GVWR, and see what is left for hitch weight. You might have as much as 2,200 pounds with a properly equipped Supercrew F-150 and Ecoboost, but with a typical 1/2 ton, they do not have a 3,000 pound cargo rating like the F-150 does when it has the maximum cargo package.

Pick up a towing guide at your local Dodge dealer, it will go into explanation of the GVWR, GCVWR, and also offers tips in backing up, and other information helpful to a new trailer owner.

Always remember the secret to backing up safely.

Good luck,

Fred.

[bikendan]

with only a 1/2 ton truck, your payload will limit you to only the smaller 5th wheels, because of pinweight.
if you went travel trailer, you'd be able to tow a bigger trailer and more floorplans to choose from.

[deleted-2]

Welcome aboard!

Our first was a travel trailer...loved it!
We're on our second fiver now however.

We recently looked at TT's before purchasing what we ended up with.
Some very nice floorplans and amenities in the travel trailers.

For myself the largest differences between the two are towing, hitching and storage.
The fiver wins in those 3 departments IMO.

Some TT's win with me in the bedroom department.
I like the rear bedroom layout that is available for the lower cost.
A great feature that a lot of TT models have are 2 curbside entry doors.
Our first trailer had this and I do miss it so.
Also travel trailers are generally lower to the curb so the steps will be close to the ground.

Good luck!
Hope I have offered a bit of help here.

[MarkTwain]

Hello I have been looking for my first rv. I was looking at motor homes but most of my use will be in the summer as I am semi retired and take 3 months off every year now. So I think a travel trailer or 5th wheel would be better. It is only me and my small dog on most of my travels so I would like to stay under 27 ft.
ANyways what are the pros and cons of a 5th wheel vs TT and what is a good mid entry to high end brand that is good for cold Canada. Most of my camping will be remote and far north.

For TT trailers, I would look at Lance and Kit Fox. For 5th. wheel, I would look at Heartland. The major difference between the 5th. wheel and the TT is the stability in towing and the storage areas/capacities. The 5th. wheel is easier to hitch and unhitch. In the end, choose one that meets the greatest number of your needs and that best fits in your budge.

[SooperDaddy]

We had a succession of Travel Trailers, 6 Jayco's. Then several years ago, our newest Jayco was being pulled down the San Diego freeway to a happy weekend at Santee Lakes Campground. The Expedition tow vehicle ended up on it's roof, and our poor Jayco rolled over on it's side on the freeway due to a freeway overpass bridge settling and producing a "hump and bump".

My Wife and I, our son and daughter and their friends as well as our two doggies all walked away from it with only slight injuries.

The accident, according to the Highway Patrol was caused by the "hump and bump", and that caused the TT to start swaying and pull us all upside down. It happened that fast..and we were only going 57 mph.

After some research, we decided to go with a replacement Jayco 5er paid for by the insurance company. And never regretted going to a 5th wheel.

So we've had both.

And for the most part the 5er will have more room for storage under the master bedroom AND more cubic feet of interior space..which helps you from going "stir crazy" and limits the claustrophobia attacks too! 😉 And since the 5er will have a good percentage of it's length over the bed of your truck...the towed length is shorter.

The 5er also pulls better, doesn't need "sway bars" or other towing enhancements....it tracks and pulls great. It handles well in the wind or when passed by a huge big rig. Holding and fresh water tanks are often larger too. Backing one up is different...not in a bad way...just different and takes some practice.

Best of luck!

[outdoorlovers]

We're picking up our first 5th wheel tomorrow - a Jayco. Started with a Jayco TT. Looking forward to the ease of hitching, unhitching, pulling, etc.

[SooperDaddy]

I've had both...6 travel trailers and then a 5er.

And for the most part the 5er will have more room for storage under the master bedroom AND more cubic feet of interior space..which helps you from going "stir crazy" and limits the claustrophobia attacks too! 😉 And since the 5er will have a good percentage of it's length over the bed of your truck...the towed length is shorter.

The 5er also pulls better, doesn't need "sway bars" or other towing enhancements....it tracks and pulls great. It handles well in the wind or when passed by a huge big rig. Holding and fresh water tanks are often larger too.

Backing one up is different...not in a bad way...just different and takes some practice.

I had a short bed truck with a Pullrite Superglide hitch pulling a 30' Jayco and could make a U-turn in a cul-de-sac with ease.

Look at the Northwood Nash line of trailers, better insulation than most, and I like Jayco because of the quality of the build, fully insulated laminated construction and 2 year warranties and the family that makes them ha 46 years in the business!

[rs680]

I have a 2010 ram 1500 hemi with auto trucks is loaded and has factory tow cap. I think it is 9500 lbs. It is used a bit but it is not my daily driver.